Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Future Learning Short Documentary

Great video for all educators to inspire their students to step into the 21st century digital literacy.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

5 Favorite Education Talks

Sugata Mitra founded the "Hole in the Wall" experiments. Here are 5 talks that align with his vision of education's future

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

TED TALK BY DALE DOUGHERTY: “ALL OF US ARE MAKERS…” Dale Dougherty says we're all makers at heart, and shows cool new tools to tinker with, like Arduinos, affordable 3D printers, even DIY satellites.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Wonderopolis

Wonderopolis is a great website that gets kids thinking.  Each day there is a different "wonder" that you can discuss with your students.  Some could also be used as a  quick writing prompt. Sometimes there is a short video or picture that accompanies the "wonder".  Check out this video!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

How to Be the Teacher Your Students Will Never Forget


Cross posted from http://goo.gl/bNhCC
A teaching career can be one of the most challenging, yet one of the most rewarding careers that a person can pursue. Most educators embark upon their careers with a determination to make a difference and to be a teacher that students remember and count as an inspiration. Chances are, you have had a teacher at some point in your academic career that truly stood out, perhaps even inspiring your own desire to become a teacher. If you’d like to make that same impression on your own students, these tips may point you in the right direction. Keeping this advice in mind while emulating some of the behavior that your own inspirational educator exhibited can help you become just as important of a figure in the lives of your students as a few great teachers once were to you.
Respect Your Students
In order to maintain control over a classroom full of kids, you’ll have to command their respect. One way to accomplish that goal is to play the role of the authoritarian teacher that refuses to accept anything less. More gentle educators know that getting students to feel genuine respect, rather than blind fear, depends upon the amount of respect they show those students.
Be Patient
Some of your students will learn differently than others, and have to go at their own pace. Others will have behavioral problems that prevent them from comporting themselves in the same manner as their peers. In every class, you will have at least one student that tries your patience, but it’s important that you do your best not to let it affect you. When your students look back at you through the lens of adulthood, they’ll be more likely to remember the wonderful teacher that was patient with them and coached them through their difficulties than the ones that couldn’t manage their needs.
Show Compassion
Your students will come from all walks of life and socioeconomic backgrounds. They’ll have different learning styles and different home lives that will affect the way they behave at school. Rather than lashing out at a student who’s clearly acting out due to anger or fear, take the time to work with them and show the compassion they need.
Teach Enthusiastically
In order to inspire enthusiasm for a given subject in your students, you’ll have to show that you’re excited about teaching the subject matter. Approaching every class as if it were the most exciting thing you’ve ever done and showing a sincere eagerness to share your knowledge and help your students learn can make a significant difference in the way they respond to you and how they remember you throughout the years.
Set High Expectations, and Help Your Students Meet Them
It is okay to set lofty goals for each and every one of your students, as long as you’re willing to put in the extra work it takes to help them meet those expectations. Work with students that need extra help, coach those that need a confidence boost and make sure that they know you’re behind them all the way. When your students look back at the time spent in your classroom, they’ll think of the sense of confidence you instilled in them and all the encouragement you gave. While the memories of apathetic or bitter teachers fade away, they’ll still remember the teacher that did everything possible to make them feel powerful and capable.
Engage Your Students
Getting kids to connect with the source material is a key to helping them retain it and to fostering an appreciation for it. Working in as many hands-on ways as possible and getting kids engaged and connected is a great way to not only help them learn, but also to help them feel secure in their environment and eager for each new day.
Get Involved
Teachers might have summer vacations and weekends off, but the truly great ones spend time outside of the classroom working with their students. Whether you’re coaching a sport, supervising an after-school activity or spending time in a tutoring program, your students need to know that you’re taking an active interest in the school. Kids can spot the teachers that are simply going through the motions until summer vacation arrives and those tend to be the educators that they don’t carry such fond memories of when their school days are over.

Monday, January 7, 2013


10 iPhone Apps to Help Manage Your College Search

One of the biggest decisions in a student’s life is choosing which university to attend in order to pursue a degree. While there are a variety of hard-copy guidebooks and online resources available to incoming college freshmen, the major advances in mobile device technology and the overwhelming popularity of Apple’s App Store have also made it possible for those same students to manage their college search and application process from their cell phones. These 10 apps have helped streamline the college selection and admissions process greatly, reducing some of the overwhelming pressure that many students face.
Peterson’s College Guide – Peterson’s is a widely recognized name in the world of college selection and tours, which is why this app comes in at the top of the list. The free Peterson’s app allows you to map out a trip to your prospective university campuses, determine which institutions best match your academic, social and financial needs, and filter for the highest-rated sports programs across the United States.
College Apply–CA Edition – When you’ve narrowed your list of prospective colleges to a manageable few, this $1.99 app will allow you to access pertinent information regarding enrollment, application fees, tuition, admissions, financial aid and athletic programs. Search by city or the college name to find out more about the schools at the top of your list.
College Confidential – Making a decision regarding which university to attend should be all about the academic programs, but the social component of the experience also tends to rank high on new students’ list of requirements. The free College Confidential app allows you to access popular college discussion forums, getting the skinny on the social scene as well as financial aid, test prep and an Ask the Dean information feature.
College Entrance MobileHUB – Before you can apply for the colleges at the top of your wish list, you’ll have to ace their admissions requirements. This free app offers SAT and ACT prep, along with personalized diagnostic feedback, answer explanations for practice sets, instant scoring and other placement exam information.
College FAFSA Finder + – Obtaining a college degree is an expensive process, which is why many students are forced to keep their financial aid requirements at a higher priority than other factors. This $0.99 app is an ad-free universal one that provides the estimated cost of attendance, contact information, FAFSA or CSS codes for almost 3,000 institutions of higher learning around the country.
College Finder – If you’re looking for free information regarding the best way to further your education and maximize your future earning potential, College Finder might be just what you’re seeking. Financial aid, special study and online program information is literally at your fingertips with College Finder!
College Key – After you’ve narrowed your list of colleges to your top choices, the process of application and admissions begins. This $1.99 app helps you navigate the application process quickly and more easily than ever.
College List – Created by a 15 year old student, College List is billed as an app containing a list of America’s best colleges and information about each campus. Location, average tuition and SAT score requirement information is provided through the free College List app.
Choose a College Major – Choosing the university you’d most like to attend may seem like one of the biggest decisions of your life, but it’s only the beginning. Before you know it, the time for you to declare a major will arrive. That’s where this $0.99 app comes in handy; the app helps you to determine which area your aptitude and interests will be best applied.
ACT College Search – Narrowing the number of colleges to a list of those you’d realistically like to attend is relatively easy; choosing the best options from that narrowed list is where the real difficulty comes in. With this free app, you can investigate those choices and use the available information to make the decision that will be most beneficial to you in the future.
While these apps can be incredibly effective when it comes to narrowing the field of universities and helping students make this life-altering decision, it’s important to remember that there are also scores of other research options out there. While technology may be the wave of the future, you’ll still have to crack a few books during your college career; honing those research skills during the college selection process is a great head start!